This invention relates to binders employing a post and sleeve or "catalog" metal, and more particularly, to a clip for locking the metal closed during shipment or storage of the binder.
Catalog binders are binders used to hold a substantial quantity of material. Typically the binder is sized to individuals sheets of material which, for a catalog, would include pages having part numbers, part specifications, prices, etc. The binder would be kept at a counter or desk for ready reference by sales people, countermen, etc. to look up needed information for servicing a customer. Since catalogs are continually updated with new pages, the binders are provided with a metal the is referred to as a post and sleeve type metal. That is, the metal includes a hinged section having a frame with a series of spaced sleeves extending orthogonally from the frame. A second frame element has a series of spaced posts received in the sleeves. This frame element locks to one side of the metal. When the metal is unlocked, the second frame element is removed from the first. This allows catalog pages to be inserted in the binder. After insertion, the second frame element is intermitted with the first and locked in place.
It has been found that when the binders are shipped from a distribution center to satellite stores or offices, the weight of the catalog pages stored in the binder can cause the binder to come open. When this occurs, the two frame elements can separate from one another resulting in the binder's contents spilling out. The result is a mess. Pages can be lost or misfiled when everything is reassembled. It would be convenient to have a simple mechanism which would prevent this problem from occurring.